Manama, March 31 (BNA) In an effort to boost investment in the telecommunications field in the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority today issued a decision regarding the pricing of Batelco’s international interconnection services and other conditions.
The resolution aims to ensure an efficient international telecom market, as well as encourage and enable telecom companies to invest in international cable lines that land in Bahrain.
The authority conducted a market review of international connectivity, given its importance to international digital services and due to concerns raised by licensees. The review highlighted, among other things, the higher prices that licensed operators pay for international calling services in Bahrain compared to other countries.
The review also found that Batelco controls access to three out of the four submarine cables landing in Bahrain.
As a result of the review, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority has imposed new regulatory measures on Batelco including price regulation that will enable Bahrain to compete more effectively with neighboring countries, by making it more attractive to users of services that rely on international calling. The measures also aim to promote higher levels of investment in the telecommunications sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Commenting on the decision, Philip Marnick, Director General of the Bahrain Telecommunications Regulatory Authority said: “Bahrain’s goal in strengthening its position as a center for digital and data services depends on the availability of a wide range of high-quality international calling options at fair prices. The Authority believes that this price list will allow Batelco to achieve a reasonable return on existing investments while allowing it and other operators to invest in new international calling services in the future. It will also enable licensees and other businesses to benefit from significant savings when purchasing international calling or other services that depend on it.”
He added, “Good international connectivity is key to ensuring Bahrain achieves its strategic telecom objectives. Network flexibility and the availability of alternative routes are more important than ever. The TRA believes that these price terms will remove any potential barriers to service entry and allow telecom and data service providers to provide their customers Flexible services at competitive prices.
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